FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[57Johnnie]

It's the way of the world in NCAA Division III -- this is what Division III is all about, championship access. The UMAC might not be competitive in football but I think SJU knows that the UMAC is competitive in men's basketball.

Maybe they need to change how playoff teams are determined then. It just makes sense that playoffs should involve the top teams.

Actually, it makes sense that the playoffs include an automatic qualifier from every conference. That's how it works in NCAA championships. (And no, Division I FBS is not an NCAA championship.)

Yes and I believe the really top teams did get in.

[DuffMan]

I think you are kind of missing the point. No one is complaining that SJU's first round opponent was a cup cake (at least not most people). The point is that there are quite a few teams that are much better than Martin Luther that didn't qualify for the playoffs. That's the way I interpret  it.

Would any of those teams that were "left out" have a legit shot at a title?  You want in?  Win your conference.  If you don't, don't expect to be selected.

St Thomas, Linfield, etc. were  certainly better than MLC, but they didn't get it done this season.  Tough luck, but it's the way it is.  The system isn't perfect, but I can say with confidence that at the end of the season, we know with certainty who the best is.

[RoyalsFan]

It's the way of the world in NCAA Division III -- this is what Division III is all about, championship access. The UMAC might not be competitive in football but I think SJU knows that the UMAC is competitive in men's basketball.

Maybe they need to change how playoff teams are determined then. It just makes sense that playoffs should involve the top teams.

Actually, it makes sense that the playoffs include an automatic qualifier from every conference. That's how it works in NCAA championships. (And no, Division I FBS is not an NCAA championship.)

Sorry, but to me that doesn't 'make sense'. If a conference is extremely weak, why should they get an automatic qualifier? Why not reward the better teams with a playoff berth?

Because D3 is not FBS and that's a good thing?

Not really sure what difference it makes if you are D1, D2, D3 or FBS. The playoffs should all be made up of the best teams IMO. It's like in grade school, we feel the need to give out participation awards so the kids don't 'feel bad' about not winning. This is college and I think the players (adults, not kids) should be past the stage of worrying about feeling bad if they don't make the playoffs because they don't have a very good team.

Are you really ok with UST being out of the playoffs this year but teams like MLC and Eureka are in?

[RoyalsFan]

I think you are kind of missing the point. No one is complaining that SJU's first round opponent was a cup cake (at least not most people). The point is that there are quite a few teams that are much better than Martin Luther that didn't qualify for the playoffs. That's the way I interpret  it.

Would any of those teams that were "left out" have a legit shot at a title?  You want in?  Win your conference.  If you don't, don't expect to be selected.

St Thomas, Linfield, etc. were  certainly better than MLC, but they didn't get it done this season.  Tough luck, but it's the way it is.  The system isn't perfect, but I can say with confidence that at the end of the season, we know with certainty who the best is.

Probably not, but teams like St. Thomas and Linfield would have a heck of a lot better chance to make some noise in the playoff (and maybe cause an upset of two) rather than teams like MLC and Eureka who have 0 chance.

[OzJohnnie]

I think you are kind of missing the point. No one is complaining that SJU's first round opponent was a cup cake (at least not most people). The point is that there are quite a few teams that are much better than Martin Luther that didn't qualify for the playoffs. That's the way I interpret  it.

Would any of those teams that were "left out" have a legit shot at a title?  You want in?  Win your conference.  If you don't, don't expect to be selected.

St Thomas, Linfield, etc. were  certainly better than MLC, but they didn't get it done this season.  Tough luck, but it's the way it is.  The system isn't perfect, but I can say with confidence that at the end of the season, we know with certainty who the best is.

The only legit complaint, I think is the travel in the first two rounds rule.  It leads to distortions out west and down south.  Works well in the highly populated north and east, I know, but chronically disadvantages the other regions.

That aside, the best team wins the Stagg every year.  No gifts.  Win and in.  Clear and consistent.

(Imagine if the same black arts were used to determine the playoff qualifiers that are used to determine matchups in playoffs.  Considering that I'm pretty happy with the simple Win-The-Conference rule.)

[jamtod]

It's the way of the world in NCAA Division III -- this is what Division III is all about, championship access. The UMAC might not be competitive in football but I think SJU knows that the UMAC is competitive in men's basketball.

Maybe they need to change how playoff teams are determined then. It just makes sense that playoffs should involve the top teams.

Actually, it makes sense that the playoffs include an automatic qualifier from every conference. That's how it works in NCAA championships. (And no, Division I FBS is not an NCAA championship.)

Sorry, but to me that doesn't 'make sense'. If a conference is extremely weak, why should they get an automatic qualifier? Why not reward the better teams with a playoff berth?

Because D3 is not FBS and that's a good thing?

Not really sure what difference it makes if you are D1, D2, D3 or FBS. The playoffs should all be made up of the best teams IMO. It's like in grade school, we feel the need to give out participation awards so the kids don't 'feel bad' about not winning. This is college and I think the players (adults, not kids) should be past the stage of worrying about feeling bad if they don't make the playoffs because they don't have a very good team.

Are you really ok with UST being out of the playoffs this year but teams like MLC and Eureka are in?

[/b]

Absolutely. 100%. We had our chance. We know how the NCAA D3 philosophy works and it's a good lesson that life ain't always fair, if you want to look at it that way or whine about the participation trophy stuff.
It sucks sitting home knowing there are teams we could beat. But that's not how the playoff works.

[RoyalsFan]

Yes and I believe the really top teams did get in.

Do you really expect us to believe that? So MLC and Eureka are better teams than St. Thomas or Linfield? I'll have some of whatever you are smoking tonight.

[RoyalsFan]

Absolutely. 100%. We had our chance. We know how the NCAA D3 philosophy works and it's a good lesson that life ain't always fair, if you want to look at it that way or whine about the participation trophy stuff.
It sucks sitting home knowing there are teams we could beat. But that's not how the playoff works.

Understood - but that is why I think they should change how the playoffs work.

[jamtod]

Yes and I believe the really top teams did get in.

Do you really expect us to believe that? So MLC and Eureka are better teams than St. Thomas or Linfield? I'll have some of whatever you are smoking tonight.

If St Thomas was a top team we wouldn't have lost 2 games and Linfield would have beat Whit. Rearrange the remaining deck chairs however you want, the top teams got in and that includes St John's this year and not us

[BDB]

Honestly Royalsfan, your team is in, and won first round. Great! WTF you care about who was bounced.

I'll tell you who. Players that chose to play at schools that had no chance of winning the National Champiomship in D3 football, but have put forth the effort anyway.

So get just get over it and worry about your Chik-Fil-A teams. The D3 playoffs will come down to the best teams regardless of the life experiences of the the less talented teams that had the chance.

[Pat Coleman]

At the beginning of the season, everyone in Division III knows what it needs to do to get to the playoffs. If you take away the automatic bids, then everyone's season is in the hands of a committee. I suspect nobody wants to go back to that.

[RoyalsFan]

Yes and I believe the really top teams did get in.

Do you really expect us to believe that? So MLC and Eureka are better teams than St. Thomas or Linfield? I'll have some of whatever you are smoking tonight.

If St Thomas was a top team we wouldn't have lost 2 games and Linfield would have beat Whit. Rearrange the remaining deck chairs however you want, the top teams got in and that includes St John's this year and not us

Maybe St. Thomas wasn't a top team in the MIAC, but they surely are a much better team than MLC or Eureka. I'm advocating for the top teams in the nation (not just each top team in each conference) to make the playoffs. Maybe most people are fine with this format, but I'm not. Just stating my opinion.

[RoyalsFan]

Honestly Royalsfan, your team is in, and won first round. Great! WTF you care about who was bounced.

I'll tell you who. Players that chose to play at schools that had no chance of winning the National Champiomship in D3 football, but have put forth the effort anyway.

So get just get over it and worry about your Chik-Fil-A teams. The D3 playoffs will come down to the best teams regardless of the life experiences of the the less talented teams that had the chance.

This has nothing to do with whether Bethel made the playoffs or not. I am just expressing my opinion of who should make the playoffs, and last I knew, this was a discussion board and we are allowed to express our opinions, are we not?
Th

[57Johnnie]

Yes and I believe the really top teams did get in.

Do you really expect us to believe that? So MLC and Eureka are better teams than St. Thomas or Linfield? I'll have some of whatever you are smoking tonight.

That is not what I said. I did not say the best 32 teams got in. I did not say MLC could beat the Tommies.  I did not say no poor teams got in. The Tommies and Cats know the score and are not whining. I used the word really very carefully and purposely.

[OzJohnnie]

What's a Chik-Fil-A team?